Valve-controller



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. E. OOLGATE. VALVE CONTROLLER.

Patented Apr. 19, 1898.

wtwaooeo 351;(1 aft M1121 I (No Model.) 2 ShetsSheet 2. A. E. OOLGA-TE.

VALVE CONTROLLER.

Patented Apr. 19

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ARTHUR E. COLGATE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO .THE SIGNAL CONTROLCOMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

VALVE-CONTROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,429, dated April19, 1898.

Application filed September 19, 1896. Renewed October 1, 1897. SerialNo. 653,747. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. COLGATE, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Valve-Controllers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a reliable main valvecontrolled by an auxiliary valve, particularly one in which theauxiliary valve is controlled electricall and more particularly a mainvame d to be controlled directly by hand or indirectly by the auxiliaryvalve electrically controllable either at will or automatically. Such avalve may be used for various purposes, but I have designed the samemainly for controlling the flow of steam to a whistle.

In carrying my invention into effect I employ a main valve, which isheld to its seat by the pressure from the inlet and which is opened bythe pressure from the inlet actuating a piston working in a separatechamber and carried at one end of the valve-stem. At the other end ofthe valve-stem I provide a piston, which works in a chamber to cushionthe opening stroke of the valve. The passage from the inlet to thechamber containing the valve-actuating piston is controlled by anauxiliary valve, which is held to its seat by the pressure from theinlet and is opened by an electromagnet. The stem of the main valve isarranged to be actuated directly by hand by any suitable device. Asshown, the main valve is adapted to be actuated manually by an ordinarypivoted lever.

I also employ certain devices and combinations of devices hereinafterreferred to.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is an end elevation of the apparatus, showing the relativepositions of the in aim-valve casing, the auxiliary-valve casin g, andthe casing for the electromagnet for opening the auxiliary valve. Fig. 2is a central vertical section through the main-valve casing and throughthe electromagnet-casing. Fig. 3 is a central horizontal section throughthe main valve, showing the passage controlled by the auxiliary valve;and Fig. 4 is B at the other end to cushion the opening stroke of thevalve. Piston B Works in a chamber a, which is closed by a cap a,through which passes the end I) of the valve-stem. Piston B works in achamber a formed in the cap a The valvestem has its bearings within thecaps a and a and within the annular flange a at which point thevalve-stem is provided with a cylindrical enlargement 19 The chamber ais connected with the inlet A by passages c c, the passage 0 having anopening 0 at the inlet and the passage 0 an opening 0 at the chamber Cb.The passages c 0 enter the auxiliary-valve chamber 0, as shown in Fig.4, and communication between the two is controlled by the auxiliaryvalve D. To relieve the pressure upon the piston B in closing the mainvalve, the piston is provided with a port 19 and the valvecasin g isprovided with an exhaust-openin g a The enlargement of the stem 19provides an additional surface upon which the pressure within thevalve-chamber acts to close the valve. When the valve is closed, thepressure upon the valve overbalances the pressure upon the inlet side ofpiston B and the valve is firmly held to its seat. when the auxiliaryvalve is opened, the pressure on the inlet side of piston B overbalancesthe pressure upon the valve B and opens the valve. The opening of thevalve B permits the pressure to act upon the surface 6 but the pressureupon B and b from the inlet is not sufficient to overbalance thepressure upon B and B and the valve B remains open. When, however, thevalve D is closed, the pressure upon B and b overbalances the pressureupon B and effects a rapid closing of the valve.

The valve D is held to its seat by the pressure within the valve-chamberC. The valvestem cl at its lower end works through a collar (1, screwedinto the lower end of the valve-chamber and through a packing-ring dscrewed into the collar d, and between the packin g-rin g and the collaris a suitable packing material (Z The upper end of the valvestem d isenlarged by means of a hood or thimble d to afford a surface in additionto that of the piston upon which the pressure may act to effect a rapidclosing of the valve D. To further increase the area of the surfacepresented by the end of the thimble, its end is beveled, as shown at (F.The object in employing, the thimble for the purpose of increasing thearea against which the pressure acts to close the valve is to enable thevalve to be readily inserted in the valvechamber. A collar might besubstituted for the thimble; but the thimble affords a betterbearing-surface for the valve-stem and it can be more readily secured inposition without interfering with its working, as shown by the screw d.The valve-stem d is grooved or beveled off at d to permit the steam orother fluid to enter the chamber (Z By locating in a separate chamberthe additional surface upon which the pressure from the inlet acts toeffect a rapid closing of the auxiliary valve I do not increase theresistance to the opening of the valve, and hence in employing anelectromagnet for opening the valve I considerably reduce thebattery-power required. The pressure in the valve-chamber 0, acting uponthe lower part of valve-stem (Z, almost balances the pressure upon thevalve D, the difference being only sufficient to hold the valve Dclosely to its seat. By almost balancing the valve D, I am enabled toopen said valve by means of an electromagnet with little battery-power.The upper endiof the valve -stem works in a tube or sleeve (1 screwedinto the upper end of the valve-chamber C, the valve-stem projecting asufficient distance above the tube to permit the proper downwardmovement of the valve by means of the actuating-electromagnet E. A cap dis placed over the upper end of the valvestem and the upper end of thesleeve (Z The object of this cap is to prevent paint and other matterworking in between the sleeve d and the thimble d on the upper end ofthe valve-stem and thus prevent its becoming clogged.

The actuating-electromagnet E is mounted within a'case E of non-magneticmetal to reduce the extra or self-induced currents upon the discharge ofthe magnet. The magnetcase is supported upon the valve-casing by twoarms 6, projecting from the lower end of the magnet-case and which arebolted to the valve-casing by bolts 6. The magnet-case may be made inany desired number of parts to facilitate manufacture. In the drawings Ihave shown itin two partsthat is, the body portion and the cover E whichis firmly secured by screws 6 The circuit connections to the magnet aremade by suitable contacts carried within the box E to which the couplingof a cable is adapted to be screwed to form a water-tight joint.

The magnet is inserted in the case with its yoke at the bottom restingupon a plate as and secured by means of bolts (not shown) which arescrewed through the bottom of the casing andinto the yoke. In practicethe interior of the magnet-case is not finished smooth, and in order toafiord a firm and even seat for the magnet-yoke the plate a; is made ofa material which will yield and allow the burs to enter the plate andthus afford a solid and rigid support. For this purpose the plate 00 ispreferably made of a material which under ordinary temperatures is quitehard, but which when heated becomes somewhat softer, so that when theplate is heated and placed in position the burs will readily becomeembedded therein, and on cooling becomes hard and unyielding andaffording a solid bearing. Above the poles of the magnet and in closeproximity thereto is a brass plate :20, which is secured between thebody and cover of the magnet-case, and rigidly attached thereto in thecenter is a brass tube m which passes through the yoke of the magnet,the plate 00, and the bottom of the casing. This tube is provided with ashoulder m which is seated in a recess upon the upper side of themagnet-yoke, and the free end of the tube, which extends through thebottom of the casing, is screw-threaded and receives a rubber washer anda nut :20, Fig. 1.

lhe armature F of the magnet E is rigidly mounted upon the upper end ofa rod f,which passes through the tube 00 and stands directly over and inline with the valve-stem cl. The armature is recessed to receive aspiral spring f, Fig. 2, which is coiled around the rod f and moves thearmature away from the poles of the magnet. A brass pin f projects fromeach magnet-pole through holes in the armature F and serves to guide thearmature in its movements toward and away from the magnet, and alsoserves to prevent axial movement of the armature.

It is important to prevent the entrance of moisture to the magnet-case,and the only place where moisture can enter is at the point where therod f of the armature projects through the case, and to prevent itsaffecting the magnet the plate 00 with tube m rubber washer 09 and nut93 are provided. If necessary, a layer of rubber or other packingmaterial may be placed on both sides of plate 00, along the edge, so asto form a good water-tight joint between the case E and the cover E Thusit will be seen that the magnet is in a practically air-tight andwatertight case and that the only moisture which can enter will bethrough tube :0 to the upper side of plate x,where it cannot affect themagnet.

that I claim is 1. The combination with a main valve designed to be heldto its seat by the pressure from the inlet, of a valve-stem providedwith an actuating-piston working in a separate chamber and adapted to beactuated by the pressure from the inlet to open the main valve, anotherpiston on said valve-stem Working in a chamber to cushion the openingstroke of the main valve, a passage from the inlet to the chamber of theactuating-piston, and an auxiliary valve for controlling said passage,substantially as set forth.

' 2. The combination with a main valve designed to be held to its seatby the pressure from the inlet, of a valve-stem provided with anactuating-piston Working in a separate chamber and adapted to beactuated by the pressure from the inlet to open the main valve, anotherpiston on said valve-stem working in a chamber to cushion the openingstroke of the main valve, a head or enlargement on the outlet side ofsaid valve-stem, a passage from the inlet to the chamber of theactuating-piston, and an auxiliary valve for controlling said passage,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a main valve designed to be held to its seat bythe pressure from the inlet, of a valve-stem rovided with anactuating-piston working in a separate chamber and adapted to beactuated by the pressure from the inlet to open the main valve, anotherpiston on said valve-stem working in a chamber to cushion the openingstroke of the main valve, a passage from the inlet to the chamber of theactuating-piston, an auxiliary valve for controlling said passage, andan electromagnet for operating said auxiliary valve, substantially asset forth.

4. The combination with a main valve designed to be held to its seat bythe pressure from theinlet, of a valve-stem provided with anactuating-piston working in a separate chamber and adapted to beactuated by the pressure from the inlet to open the main valve, anotherpiston on said valve-stem working in a chamber to cushion the openingstroke of the main valve, a passage from the inlet to the chamber of theactuating-piston, an auxiliary valve for controlling said passage, saidvalve being held to its seat by the pressure from the inlet, and anelectromagnet for opening said auxiliary valve, substantially as setforth.

5. The combination with a main valve designed to be held to its seat bythe pressure from the inlet, of a valve-stem provided with anactuating-piston working in a separate chamber and. adapted to beactuated by the pressure from the inlet to open the main valve, meansfor permitting the operation of said main valve manually, a piston atthe other end of the valve-stem working in a chamber to cushion theopening stroke of the main valve, a passage from the inlet to thechamber of the actuating-piston, and an auxiliary valve for controllingsaid passage, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination With a main valve, of a valve-stem provided with anactuating-piston working in a separate chamber and adapted to beactuated by the pressure from the inlet to open the main valve, apassage from the inlet to said chamber, and an auxiliary valve forcontrolling said passage, said auxiliary valve being slightlyoverbalanced and held to its seat by pressure from the inlet,substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a main valve, of a valve-stem provided with anactuating-piston working in a separate chamber and adapted to beactuated by the pressure from the inlet to open said valve, a passagefrom the inlet to said chamber, and an auxiliary valve for controllingsaid passage, said auxiliary valve having a surface upon which thepressure within the valve-chamber acts to produce a rapid closing of theauxiliary valve and located so as not to affect the opening movement ofsaid valve, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with a main valve, of a valve-stem provided with anactuating-piston working in a separate chamber and adapted to beactuated by the pressure from the inlet to open the main valve, apassage from the inlet to said chamber, and an auxiliary valve forcontrolling said passage, said auxiliary valve on the inlet side beingslightly overbalanced to hold it to its seat, and having a surface onthe outlet side which greatly overbalances the valve to produce a rapidclosing thereof, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination with a main valve, of a valve-stem provided with anactuating-piston workingin a separate chamber and adapted to be actuatedby the pressure from the inlet to open the main valve, a passage fromthe inlet to said chamber, an auxiliary valve for controlling saidpassage and whose valvestem projects through the valve-casing,meansengaging with said valve-stem to open the auxiliary valve, and a hood orthimble d on said valve-stem, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

10. The combination with a main valve, of a valve-stem provided with anactuating-piston working in a separate chamber and adapted to beactuated by the pressure from the inlet to open the main valve, apassage from the inlet to said chamber, an auxiliary valve forcontrolling said passage and Whose valvestem projects through thevalve-casing,means engaging with one end of said valve-stem to open theauxiliary valve, a hood or thimble inlet to open the main Valve, apassage from outer end of said tube :0 substantially asand the inlet tosaid chamber, an auxiliary valve for the purpose set forth. ID forcontrolling said passage, an electromag- This specification signed andwitnessed this net for operating said auxiliary Valve, a prac- 16th dayof September, 1896.

tically Water-tight casing for said magnet, a ARTHUR E. COLGATE. plateaeand connected tube 00 through which Witnesses:

extends a rod from the armature to the stem W. PELZER,

of the auxiliary Valve, and a packing at the EUGENE GONRAN.

